APN's daily news review from Israel
Thursday January 19, 2017
Quote of the Day #1:
"I'd run over a cop, too, if they were forcing me out of my home to build a community for people better
off than me."
--Army Radio reporter Khen Elmaleh wrote on her personal Facebook page - and was fired.*
--Yedioth's senior political commentator, Nahum Barnea, writes about the debate over who killed whom first in the clashes over the state demolishing of the Bedouin village of Umm al-Hiran on Wednesday morning.**
--Army Radio reporter Khen Elmaleh wrote on her personal Facebook page - and was fired.*
Quote of the Day #2:
“The circumstances, as well as the videos from the incident, leave room for two contradicting versions.
The haste in which all officials, from Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu downwards, adopted the ISIS version
reminds me of the haste in which they adopted the arson story in the recent fires. These accusations sound
good; they’re not necessarily true.--Yedioth's senior political commentator, Nahum Barnea, writes about the debate over who killed whom first in the clashes over the state demolishing of the Bedouin village of Umm al-Hiran on Wednesday morning.**
Front Page:
Haaretz
- Police and civilian killed in clashes in Bedouin village; Police: It was an attack; Video raises questions
- Milchan and Parker tried to recruit Mossad chief to cyber company
- CEO of a media company testified in the Netanyahu-Mozes affair
- State Comptroller: Senior Jewish National Fund officials did as they wanted with hundreds of millions of shekels of public funds
- In wake of electricity crisis, Fatah and Hamas agreed on unity
- Ayub Qara to be appointed minister without portfolio, Eli Cohen will be Minister of Economy
- Resident of north accused of murdering his girlfriend, who filed a complaint against him
- Obama shortened the punishment of the Wikileaks leaker
- A little empathy // Haaretz Editorial
- Visionless // Israel Harel
Yedioth Ahronoth
- The ramming – two small orphans (photo of couple and their two children) - and the protest (photo of (Arab) MK Ayman Odeh with head bandaged)
- The tragedy is just beginning // Nahum Barnea
- The brainwash won // Ben-Dror Yemini
- In no-man’s land // Oded Shalom
- Arabic test // Shlomo Puterkovsky
- Not just Um al-Hiran // Ariella Ringel-Hoffman
- Parting from an Israel Prize laureate, the artist Yossel Bergner
Maariv This Week (Hebrew links only)
- The eviction in the Negev turned into a battle
- Ali Baba acts // Kalman Libskind writes that “Bedouin succeeded again in appearing like victims”
- Fear of a break out (of a Bedouin Intifada in the Negev with Islamic encouragement) // Lior Akerman
- Sticks in the wheels (of co-existence) // Revital Amran
- Obama’s departure warning
- Due to the medical procedure: The Chief of Staff’s authorities to be transferred to his deputy for 18 days
Israel Hayom
- “I didn’t forget my promise about Jerusalem” – President-elect Trump to Israel Hayom correspondent, Boaz Bismuth
- “They took my heart and soul” – Ramming attack on [Border] policemen during destruction of illegal village in the Negev
- Lieberman and Netanyahu decided to extend Chief of Staff Eisenkot’s tenure by another year; General Golan appointed as temporary replacement, Eizenkot going for medical procedure
News Summary:
Most of the Israeli newspapers appeared to accept the police account that a Bedouin man intentionally ran over a police officer killing him during the violent clashes that took place between police and Bedouin Israelis Wednesday during the demolition of the village of Um al-Hiran making today’s top story. Also in the news, the tenure of the IDF Chief of Staff was extended by a year, just before he entered hospital, and in his final press conference as commander-in-chief, outgoing US President Barack Obama said, “I continue to be worried about the Israeli-Palestinian issue because the status quo is unsustainable,” while President-elect Donald Trump told Israel Hayom he will move the U.S. Embassy to Jerusalem, "and I'm not a person who breaks promises," and Hamas and Fatah announced (another) deal to form a Palestinian unity government in order to deal with strategic challenges, such as Trump as President. Also, the story of the chilling video showing IDF soldiers roughly carrying a wounded or dead Palestinian youth whom they just shot in the chest, by the arms and legs, his head banging on the ground, made the Hebrew newspapers Wednesday, two days after the incident. “Even though Al-Amour was critically wounded at this point, the soldiers did not use a stretcher until they reached their vehicle, where they dragged him onto one after laying him on the ground,” wrote Levy. Qusai al-Amour was declared dead a half hour later. Ynet’s Elior Levy was first to report on it with the video. “The widely viewed footage caused public anger due to the way the injured man was transported,” wrote Levy. The IDF did not explain why no stretcher was brought to the youth, but said the incident was being investigated.
In the violent clashes in southern Israel Wednesday, police said Yacoub Mousa Abu al-Qi'an, 47, a well-known local math teacher and father of 15, rammed his car into Border Police, killing one, Erez Levy, but locals said he lost control of his vehicle after the police shot him first. The police helicopter video strengthened the claims of the locals, because it showed the police did open fire first, after which Al-Qian’s car accelerated down a hill and hit the group of police. Following the release of the video, Public Security Minister Gilad Erdan tweeted that the police gunfire seen at the beginning of the video was warning shots which was not directed at the driver. The police later accused Abu Al-Qian of being an ISIS sympathizer. His family said that was false and accused the police of shooting him “in cold blood” and trying to cover it up. With the exception of Haaretz, the papers, particularly Israel Hayom, took the police version as fact. Times of Israel’s Dov Lieber also spent time speaking with the villagers and getting their version. After the killings, Arab MKs clashed with police outside Um al-Hiran, prevented from entering while the demolition of the homes was underway. Chairman of the Joint List, MK Ayman Odeh, was injured in the head. Police said it was by a rock, not a rubber bullet. Um Al-Hiran is a Bedouin village in the Negev, which the State of Israel, which was established in 1956 after Israel rejected their request to return to their original lands. Israel does not recognize their present location and considers the residents ‘squatters. Now former West Bank settlers want to build a village for religious Jews on the land where the village exists.
Some said Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu MK was trying to deflect attention from his investigations. "Someone must be trying to cover up his own problems by creating a conflict and crisis with the Arab public," said MK Ahmed Tibi (Joint List), implying at Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who is currently under police investigation. "The deeper the investigation in Jerusalem, the more heads will roll in Qalansawe and Umm al-Hiran." Meretz MK Issawi Frej concurred with Tibi, noting that “Netanyahu knew the transfer of Umm al-Hiran was a powder keg and it is no accident that he decided to blow it up today. The prime minister realizes the only way to divert the attention from the investigations against him is to go to war against the Arab public. After the initial battle in Qalansawe last week, today was the official declaration of war."
*Army Radio anchor Khen Elmaleh wrote a Facebook post that made waves, and she paid dearly for it. "I'd run over a cop, too, if they were forcing me out of my home to build a community for people better off than me," Elmaleh wrote on her personal Facebook page. Shortly after the post went live, Army Radio Commander Yaron Dekel fired her because "anyone who expresses support for running over a police officer has no place on Army Radio airwaves. Therefore, I decided to terminate Khen Elmaleh's employment immediately." Elmaleh deleted her original post and put up an explanation: "Mizrahim, Bedouin, Arabs, the weakest populations in the country, are helpless, bowed, in every neighborhood or village, in the face of massive, violent forces and they don't have enough strength or a strong enough lobby in the Knesset to fight for their rights. The thing is, while this is happening, there are other population sectors sitting on land that belongs to the state and doing what they want with it because no one will move them off it. They have a strong system, a lot of power, and they're organized under names like 'the Kibbutz Movement' and other strong financial and political entities who under the law are allowed to steal from the rest of us. But no one really wants to talk about that… I won't let headlines turn me into some crazy person who supports killing."
Quick Hits:
- Israeli Bill to Annex Jerusalem-area Settlement Will Include Controversial E1 Area - Netanyahu may delay vote to avoid conflict with U.S.; Israeli governments since Rabin have sought to build in E1 to secure Ma’aleh Adumim’s contiguity with Israel proper. (Haaretz+)
- 'Phone conversations are not grounds for an indictment' - "This is no longer the McCarthy era -- talk and jokes can no longer result in indictments," Defense Minister Lieberman says of case involving PM Netanyahu, Yedioth publisher • Lieberman hopes AG can "withstand media pressure" to file charges in the case. (Israel Hayom)
- Ministers to debate bill shielding incumbent PM from prosecution - It is unclear whether coalition partners will support proposal to defer criminal investigation until a prime minister's term ends. Shield excludes cases when security, sex, violence, or drug-related crimes are suspected; will not apply retroactively. (Israel Hayom)
- Calls for criminal investigation after first-ever review of Jewish National Fund - In the report, State Comptroller Joseph Shapira says two instances of funding raise suspicions of unlawful behavior at the organization. (Haaretz+ and Ynet)
- Knesset supports: You can disqualify a candidate based on his statements not only on acts - 36 Knesset members supported the proposal made by MK Oded Forer, and 26 opposed: "Knowledge does not tolerate incitement and support of terrorism." MK Tibi: "I have a feeling that this coalition wants a Knesset without Arabs." (Maariv)
- Sarona Market terrorists admit to 3 murders, deny link to 4th death - Cousins Muhammad and Khalid Muhamra, both 21, admit to murders of Ido Ben-Ari, 42, of Ramat Gan; Michael Feige, 58, of Midreshet Ben-Gurion; and Mila Mishayev, 32, of Rishon Lezion • They deny link to death of fourth victim, Ilana Naveh, 39, of Tel Aviv. (Israel Hayom)
- President Rivlin to be admitted for pacemaker transplant - President Reuven Rivlin is due to undergo the procedure without sedation, and no change is expected in his ability to fill the position; responding to the deadly violence that erupted earlier Wednesday during an evacuation of illegal Bedouin homes, Rivlin says that 'We must all work together and do all that we can to calm people down, in both words and actions.' (Ynet)
- Brazil approves new Israeli ambassador after blocking settlement leader - The Brazilian government approves PM Netanyahu's confidant Yossi Shelly for position of Israeli ambassador to Brazil, after protesting the nomination of settlement leader Dani Dayan for a year and a half, during which time Israel has had no ambassador to Brazil. (Yedioth/Ynet)
- Israeli Arab Actor Mohammad Bakri to Play Jewish Dad in Play About Libya Holocaust Story - Yossi Sucary's award-winning book 'Benghazi—Bergen-Belsen' has been adapted for the stage, and performances begin in March at La MaMa Experimental Theater Club in New York City’s East Village. (Haaretz+)
- Israel Tries to Reach Compromise Over Fate of Blogger Jailed in Belarus - Blogger Alexander Lapshin was arrested after visiting the disputed Nagorno-Karabakh territory; Azerbaijan is seeking extradition. (Haaretz+)
- Gaza electricity supplies back to normal: eight straight hours at most - The electricity crisis worsened in recent weeks as funds lacked for buying fuel to power the power station. Meanwhile, there was an increase in demand during the winter. (Haaretz+)
- Progressive Jewish Students to Protest Hillel Partnership With Israeli Minister Naftali Bennett - Students from the Open Hillel movement will rally in D.C. urging Hillel to end its financial partnership with Israel's Diaspora Affairs minister, citing his 'disregard for democratic values.' (Haaretz+)
- Adelson, Israeli Envoy Dermer and Giuliani Hobnob at Trump's D.C. Gala - Days before inauguration, foreign diplomats, Republican leaders and donors attend president-elect's first event in Washington in more than a month. (Haaretz)
- Obama Adviser Ben Rhodes to Join Washington Holocaust Museum Council - Opponents of Iranian deal slam appointment of aide who played key role in drafting nuclear accord. (Haaretz+)
- ISIS Ramps Up Attacks Around Baghdad as Caliphate Crumbles - Iraqi forces face major security threats as Islamic State fighters seek to sow sectarian violence. (Agencies, Haaretz)
Features:
American Jews and Muslims Seek to Heal Ties, Spur Israeli-Palestinian Peace
Figures in both communities hope that a stronger relationship between America's Muslims and Jews will help shift the Israeli-Palestinian conflict out of its current stasis. (Debra Nussbaum Cohen, Haaretz+)
High-quality, low-cost West Bank hotels luring tourists
Hotel website says facilities and services in West Bank hotels now comparable with the best hotels in Israel. (Gili Melnitcki, Haaretz)
Commentary/Analysis:
Israel Police Quick to Cry 'Terror' Amid Clashes in Bedouin Town (Yaniv Kubovich, Haaretz+) Growing evidence, including video from a police helicopter and statements from eyewitnesses and relatives of the alleged attacker cast doubt on the earlier certainty voiced by the police.
**Umm al-Hiran: The tragedy is just beginning (Nahum Barnea, Yedioth/Ynet) The haste in which all officials, from Prime Minister Netanyahu downwards, adopted the ISIS-inspired terror attack version in the Bedouin community’s violent evacuation is reminiscent of the haste in which they adopted the arson story in the recent fires. While these accusations sound good, they’re not necessarily true.
Find a Solution for Unrecognized Bedouin Village of Umm al-Hiran (Haaretz Editorial) The urgency to demolish an Israeli Arab village while the Amona settlers also face eviction means the government is placating the settlers, not equality before the law.
Demolition of Bedouin Town Destroyed Israeli Arab's Faith in State (Jack Khoury, Haaretz+) The situation really worries the 1.5 million citizens determined to remain on their lands and in their homeland. But it should be of no less concern to anyone who seeks to live a normal life in the State of Israel.
Israeli choice to rely on Trump may be dangerous (Shmuel Rosner, Maariv) In other words, Just because they give you a box of chocolates does not mean you need to eat it. He has already proved to be a leader, but destructive. Those that stand in his way won’t get many moments of grace.
I, Too, Was Scared of Arabs and They’re Afraid of Us (Emilie Moatti, Haaretz+) Security group plays on Israeli fears by pasting up billboards that try to persuade the public why it should support withdrawal from occupied territory.
Is Trump our messiah? Don’t be so sure (Aviad Kleinberg, Yedioth/Ynet) The Trump-era future will likely not be as bright as Netanyahu and Bennett expect, simply because there is no way of knowing what the new US president will do. Today he can be more Zionist than Netanyahu, and tomorrow? Who knows.
Kill Them, They’re Fair Game (Gideon Levy, Haaretz+) To most Jewish Israelis, Arabs aren't human beings equal to us. This dehumanization makes the soldiers and police trigger-happy.
The Real Intention Behind Israel's Five-year Plan for the Bedouin (Sanaa Ibn Bari, Haaretz+) The government is gearing up to approve its Prawer Plan with the concealed aim of depopulating the unrecognized villages.
The Zionist Left in Its Full Feebleness (Ron Cahlili, Haaretz+) They’re gleefully anticipating Netanyahu’s downfall, but have no alternative to offer Israelis.
Gazans are fed up with Hamas (Alex Fishman, Yedioth/Ynet) The Palestinians on the Gaza street no longer believe that their living conditions will ever improve. The fiery protests of the past few days are an uprising in the making and have exposed, for the first time, the potential of toppling the Hamas government from the inside.
Jews, Make Your Voices Heard (Odeh Bisharat, Haaretz+) The prime minister won't go quietly. Bulldozers are the ultimate refuge of the criminal suspect.
Focus on building in Jerusalem (Nadav Shragai, Israel Hayom) If it comes down to a choice between moving the U.S. Embassy to Jerusalem and re-launching the stalled construction, it is far more important to resume building.
In a Facebook Post, Netanyahu Finally Admits to Being a Corrupt Leader (Uri Misgav, Haaretz+) In a highly revealing post on Sunday, the prime minister inadvertently highlighted three lies, including why he called the 2015 election.
Israel and US Jewry moving further apart (Shlomo Puterkovsky, Yedioth/Ynet) The large gap between the feelings of the Jewish majority in Israel and the feeling of most US Jews following Donald Trump’s election should serve as a warning sign to all of us. It reflects processes that both the Jewish-Israeli and the Jewish-American societies are going through.
Have American Jews Really Not Learned Anything About Racism and Exclusion? (Rabbi Eric H. Yoffie, Haaretz+) Suggesting President Obama is an Israel-hater or anti-Semite is a lie and an abomination, reflecting the debasement of the shared moral culture that US democracy, any democracy, requires to function.
He's a Monster. And Now He's President of the United States (Bradley Burston, Haaretz+) You don't let a predator near your family. You don't let a monster into your home. And if the monster is already there, you stand up to him. Head on. With everything you have. What part of 'Never again' do we not understand?
Where is Israel headed? Probably nowhere (Yoaz Hendel, Yedioth/Ynet) With Trump’s inauguration, Israel has a one-time opportunity to change the rules of the game, to present a vision and to set in motion a right-wing initiative. But this is precisely where we get stuck. It’s easy to undermine the foundations of the Left’s old thesis, but it’s harder to present an alternative.
God Bless America, God Save Us All (Haaretz Contributors) 'The greatest president God ever created?' Faith leaders offer their own alternative invocations for the Trump inauguration.
Brexit, Trump and Boycott Threats: Do Israeli Exporters Have Good Reason to Fear 2017? (Ora Coren, Haaretz+) Uncertainty rules in the American, European and Asian markets, say Israel’s trade attachés.
Figures in both communities hope that a stronger relationship between America's Muslims and Jews will help shift the Israeli-Palestinian conflict out of its current stasis. (Debra Nussbaum Cohen, Haaretz+)
High-quality, low-cost West Bank hotels luring tourists
Hotel website says facilities and services in West Bank hotels now comparable with the best hotels in Israel. (Gili Melnitcki, Haaretz)
Commentary/Analysis:
Israel Police Quick to Cry 'Terror' Amid Clashes in Bedouin Town (Yaniv Kubovich, Haaretz+) Growing evidence, including video from a police helicopter and statements from eyewitnesses and relatives of the alleged attacker cast doubt on the earlier certainty voiced by the police.
**Umm al-Hiran: The tragedy is just beginning (Nahum Barnea, Yedioth/Ynet) The haste in which all officials, from Prime Minister Netanyahu downwards, adopted the ISIS-inspired terror attack version in the Bedouin community’s violent evacuation is reminiscent of the haste in which they adopted the arson story in the recent fires. While these accusations sound good, they’re not necessarily true.
Find a Solution for Unrecognized Bedouin Village of Umm al-Hiran (Haaretz Editorial) The urgency to demolish an Israeli Arab village while the Amona settlers also face eviction means the government is placating the settlers, not equality before the law.
Demolition of Bedouin Town Destroyed Israeli Arab's Faith in State (Jack Khoury, Haaretz+) The situation really worries the 1.5 million citizens determined to remain on their lands and in their homeland. But it should be of no less concern to anyone who seeks to live a normal life in the State of Israel.
Israeli choice to rely on Trump may be dangerous (Shmuel Rosner, Maariv) In other words, Just because they give you a box of chocolates does not mean you need to eat it. He has already proved to be a leader, but destructive. Those that stand in his way won’t get many moments of grace.
I, Too, Was Scared of Arabs and They’re Afraid of Us (Emilie Moatti, Haaretz+) Security group plays on Israeli fears by pasting up billboards that try to persuade the public why it should support withdrawal from occupied territory.
Is Trump our messiah? Don’t be so sure (Aviad Kleinberg, Yedioth/Ynet) The Trump-era future will likely not be as bright as Netanyahu and Bennett expect, simply because there is no way of knowing what the new US president will do. Today he can be more Zionist than Netanyahu, and tomorrow? Who knows.
Kill Them, They’re Fair Game (Gideon Levy, Haaretz+) To most Jewish Israelis, Arabs aren't human beings equal to us. This dehumanization makes the soldiers and police trigger-happy.
The Real Intention Behind Israel's Five-year Plan for the Bedouin (Sanaa Ibn Bari, Haaretz+) The government is gearing up to approve its Prawer Plan with the concealed aim of depopulating the unrecognized villages.
The Zionist Left in Its Full Feebleness (Ron Cahlili, Haaretz+) They’re gleefully anticipating Netanyahu’s downfall, but have no alternative to offer Israelis.
Gazans are fed up with Hamas (Alex Fishman, Yedioth/Ynet) The Palestinians on the Gaza street no longer believe that their living conditions will ever improve. The fiery protests of the past few days are an uprising in the making and have exposed, for the first time, the potential of toppling the Hamas government from the inside.
Jews, Make Your Voices Heard (Odeh Bisharat, Haaretz+) The prime minister won't go quietly. Bulldozers are the ultimate refuge of the criminal suspect.
Focus on building in Jerusalem (Nadav Shragai, Israel Hayom) If it comes down to a choice between moving the U.S. Embassy to Jerusalem and re-launching the stalled construction, it is far more important to resume building.
In a Facebook Post, Netanyahu Finally Admits to Being a Corrupt Leader (Uri Misgav, Haaretz+) In a highly revealing post on Sunday, the prime minister inadvertently highlighted three lies, including why he called the 2015 election.
Israel and US Jewry moving further apart (Shlomo Puterkovsky, Yedioth/Ynet) The large gap between the feelings of the Jewish majority in Israel and the feeling of most US Jews following Donald Trump’s election should serve as a warning sign to all of us. It reflects processes that both the Jewish-Israeli and the Jewish-American societies are going through.
Have American Jews Really Not Learned Anything About Racism and Exclusion? (Rabbi Eric H. Yoffie, Haaretz+) Suggesting President Obama is an Israel-hater or anti-Semite is a lie and an abomination, reflecting the debasement of the shared moral culture that US democracy, any democracy, requires to function.
He's a Monster. And Now He's President of the United States (Bradley Burston, Haaretz+) You don't let a predator near your family. You don't let a monster into your home. And if the monster is already there, you stand up to him. Head on. With everything you have. What part of 'Never again' do we not understand?
Where is Israel headed? Probably nowhere (Yoaz Hendel, Yedioth/Ynet) With Trump’s inauguration, Israel has a one-time opportunity to change the rules of the game, to present a vision and to set in motion a right-wing initiative. But this is precisely where we get stuck. It’s easy to undermine the foundations of the Left’s old thesis, but it’s harder to present an alternative.
God Bless America, God Save Us All (Haaretz Contributors) 'The greatest president God ever created?' Faith leaders offer their own alternative invocations for the Trump inauguration.
Brexit, Trump and Boycott Threats: Do Israeli Exporters Have Good Reason to Fear 2017? (Ora Coren, Haaretz+) Uncertainty rules in the American, European and Asian markets, say Israel’s trade attachés.
Interviews:
Shimon Peres’ daughter on the investigations of the Prime Minister: "For wheeling and dealing and power we established a state?”
Linguist, Professor Tzvia Walden, 70, daughter of the former president, has difficulty remaining indifferent in the face of the scandals that are occupying the recent headlines: "It makes me crazy." "For this we established the Jewish state?" she cries. "For this people paid with their life? For wheeling and dealing? For power? After all, we have established a national home in Israel to be a model state, no more and no less.” (Interviewed by Yaakov Bar-On in Maariv Magazine)
From July 4th parties to death threats: U.S. Ambassador to Israel Dan Shapiro and family bid farewell
In a sit-down with Haaretz, Shapiro, clad in very un-ambassadorial weekend dad-wear, doesn't seem at all unhappy he won't have to report to Trump for even a moment. (Interviewed by Allison Kaplan Sommer in Haaretz+)
Ben-Gurion’s grandson takes off his gloves
Just before the documentary film about his grandfather is screened in theaters, the famous Israeli grandson, Dr. Yariv Ben-Eliezer, explains why he is going in the direction of Yair Lapid, spits in all directions and also provides some anecdotes about Grandma Paula. (Interviewed by Yaakov Bar-On in Maariv Magazine)
When asked if there were a leader like his famous grandfather is lacking today in Israel, he replied casually: "You cannot compare leaders, and it has already been said that a man like Ben-Gurion comes once in a thousand years. If so, I do not want a leader like my grandfather, but I want a normal person with vision, integrity, who shows good leadership."
Does he/she exist today?
"The current leadership does not have such a leader. Outside it there is Herzog, whom I know from an early age. He is a charming, intelligent and a good man of action, but he has only one problem - he can’t be chosen because of its characteristics and because of communications technology. Therefore he can’t be prime minister. "
Who can?
"Someone who can replace Netanyahu is Yair Lapid, who looks good on television, and has an amazing ability to express statements that can talk to the Likud's traditional public.”
Shimon Peres’ daughter on the investigations of the Prime Minister: "For wheeling and dealing and power we established a state?”
Linguist, Professor Tzvia Walden, 70, daughter of the former president, has difficulty remaining indifferent in the face of the scandals that are occupying the recent headlines: "It makes me crazy." "For this we established the Jewish state?" she cries. "For this people paid with their life? For wheeling and dealing? For power? After all, we have established a national home in Israel to be a model state, no more and no less.” (Interviewed by Yaakov Bar-On in Maariv Magazine)
From July 4th parties to death threats: U.S. Ambassador to Israel Dan Shapiro and family bid farewell
In a sit-down with Haaretz, Shapiro, clad in very un-ambassadorial weekend dad-wear, doesn't seem at all unhappy he won't have to report to Trump for even a moment. (Interviewed by Allison Kaplan Sommer in Haaretz+)
Ben-Gurion’s grandson takes off his gloves
Just before the documentary film about his grandfather is screened in theaters, the famous Israeli grandson, Dr. Yariv Ben-Eliezer, explains why he is going in the direction of Yair Lapid, spits in all directions and also provides some anecdotes about Grandma Paula. (Interviewed by Yaakov Bar-On in Maariv Magazine)
When asked if there were a leader like his famous grandfather is lacking today in Israel, he replied casually: "You cannot compare leaders, and it has already been said that a man like Ben-Gurion comes once in a thousand years. If so, I do not want a leader like my grandfather, but I want a normal person with vision, integrity, who shows good leadership."
Does he/she exist today?
"The current leadership does not have such a leader. Outside it there is Herzog, whom I know from an early age. He is a charming, intelligent and a good man of action, but he has only one problem - he can’t be chosen because of its characteristics and because of communications technology. Therefore he can’t be prime minister. "
Who can?
"Someone who can replace Netanyahu is Yair Lapid, who looks good on television, and has an amazing ability to express statements that can talk to the Likud's traditional public.”
Prepared for APN by Orly Halpern, independent freelance journalist based in Jerusalem.